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Assimilation effects on infant mortality among immigrants in Norway: Does maternal source country matter?

Author

Listed:
  • Jonas Kinge

    (Folkehelseinstituttet (Norwegian Institute of Public Health))

  • Tom Kornstad

    (Statistisk sentralbyrå (Statistics Norway))

Abstract

Background: Assimilation models of infant outcomes among immigrants have received considerable attention in the social sciences. However, little effort has been made to investigate how these models are influenced by the source country. Objective: We investigate the relationship between infant mortality and the number of years since maternal migration and whether or not this relationship varies with maternal source country. Methods: We use an extensive dataset which includes all of the births in Norway between 1992-2010, augmented by information on the source country and other maternal characteristics. By measuring the source country infant mortality rate at the time the mother came to Norway, we are able to account for circumstances in the country the mother left behind. We apply assimilation models which allow for interactions between source country characteristics and maternal years since migration. We also fit models in which age at maternal migration replaces maternal years since migration. Results: Our analyses generated three main findings. First, an assimilation process has taken place, as the infant mortality rate declined with the number of years since maternal migration. Second, maternal source country characteristics are significantly associated with infant mortality rates in Norway. Mothers from countries with high infant mortality rates (e.g., countries in Africa and Asia) had higher infant mortality rates than mothers from countries with low infant mortality rates (e.g., countries in Europe). Third, the assimilation process varied by maternal source country: i.e., the assimilation process was more pronounced among mothers from countries with high infant mortality rates than among those from countries with low infant mortality rates. Conclusions: The source country is an important predictor of the assimilation profiles. This study contributes to the existing literature on assimilation by emphasising the significance of the source country.

Suggested Citation

  • Jonas Kinge & Tom Kornstad, 2014. "Assimilation effects on infant mortality among immigrants in Norway: Does maternal source country matter?," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 31(26), pages 779-812.
    • Handle: RePEc:dem:demres:v:31:y:2014:i:26
    DOI: 10.4054/DemRes.2014.31.26
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    Cited by:

    1. Kristín Helga Birgisdóttir & Tinna Laufey à sgeirsdóttir, 2017. "Macroeconomic conditions and population health in Iceland," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 37(25), pages 769-852.
    2. David A. Swanson & Jack Baker, 2019. "Estimating the underlying infant mortality rates for small populations: an historical study of US counties in 1970," Journal of Population Research, Springer, vol. 36(3), pages 233-244, September.
    3. Gevrek, Deniz & Guven, Cahit & Gevrek, Z. Eylem, 2022. "The relationship between early-life conditions in the home country and adult outcomes among child immigrants in the United States," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 45(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    infant mortality; immigration; assimilation; Norway; source country effects;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J1 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics
    • Z0 - Other Special Topics - - General

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